Scots are turning down costly stag and hen party invites

With stag and hen parties becoming increasingly lavish, one in five Scots (20 per cent) say that theyve recently had to turn down an invitation to one because of the cost.

Published:10:00Sunday 01 May 2016

With stag and hen parties becoming increasingly lavish, one in five Scots (20 per cent) say that they’ve recently had to turn down an invitation to one because of the cost.

This is according to a survey carried out by Ocean Finance.

Unsurprisingly, not being part of the pre-nuptial celebrations left the absent guests with mixed emotions. Of those forced to decline the chance to be part of a stag or hen party because they couldn’t afford it, more than two fifths (42 per cent) said they felt awkward, one fifth (18 per cent) felt guilty and more than one in 10 Scots (13 per cent) were left feeling embarrassed.

For those Scots that have been to a stag or hen party in the past five years, the average cost of attending comes in at £177, but this masks some big variations. While the majority of Scots capped their spending at £200, some attendees said they spent in excess of £1,000 at their most recent pre-marriage bash.

UK-wide, the results suggest that bridesmaids may be more thrifty when planning their pre-wedding celebrations than the best man.

More than three quarters (76 per cent) of the women surveyed said they spent between £1 and £200 during their most recent hen night, compared to only half (56 per cent) of men at their latest stag.

Furthermore, men (30 per cent) were almost twice as likely to spend between £201 and £400 for a stag do than women (16%) would for a hen party.

Meals and drinks came out as the biggest expense when attending a stag or hen do for more than one third (46 per cent) of Scottish respondents, followed by accommodation (22 per cent), activities (13 per cent) and flights or ferries (seven per cent).

Ian Williams, Ocean’s spokesperson, said: “It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when planning stag or hen parties, but it’s important to keep it inclusive. Bear in mind that not everyone will have the same amount of money to spend and a pricey do will put off those on a tighter budget from attending. It’s not all about where you go and what you do, but who you spend the special occasion with.”